Marianne Vos will be part of the peloton again, following her fractured collarbone in the Tour of England. After a successful recovery and constructive training session in Italy, she hopes to be ready for the 2nd part of the season, starting in the BeNe Ladies Tour. “I am confident that I will be quickly at the same level as before the fracture.”
How unpleasant is such a fractured collarbone in the middle of the season?
“Very unpleasant and untimely. I had just gotten the proper pace which was reflected in the results. I felt very well with the Dutch championship approaching. When I was on the ground in England, I knew immediately: this is not good. I kept my hopes up and was back on the bike straight after the fall. I thought: I have to finish, maybe it’s not that bad. However, in the hospital came the message that there was a fracture. There’s only one thing you can do which is to accept the situation and hope for a speedy recovery. At least, it was a clean fracture, just as in 2012. Also then it was on my right and also then, I recovered quickly which gave me confidence this time around.”
How fast were you back on the bike?
“I crashed on a Friday, on Saturday I went back home and on Sunday, I did my first kilometres on a city bike. Just carefully cruising with one hand on the wheel so as not to have to sit still. It’s lovely to be outside in such an annoying situation, otherwise you’d get mad. The week after, I was back on my Ridley bike, shortly followed by some first more intense trainings. When my body could take some more strain, I went to Sardinia.”
How was your training camp in Sardinia?
“I have had a lovely time: recovered and trained well in nice, diverse surroundings. I have nevertheless been relatively careful and practiced at a somewhat lower intensity, as a normal recovery time for a fractured clavicle is 6 weeks. This coming Friday, it has only been 5 weeks since the crash.”
Were you able to follow the Giro Rosa?
“It was quite warm, so I tried to complete my training sessions as early as possible. Often, I was already on the bike at 7 in order to be back by noon. Plenty of time to relax and follow the Giro Rosa via social media. Although I have to say that it was not always easy. Hopefully, we can soon watch all our races on the air. The plea from supporters to have the races broadcasted is getting louder. It’s nice that the interest is increasing.”
What are your expectations in the BeNe Ladies Tour?
“It’s a great stage race, a full-fledged route with a prologue and a time trial which we do not often have in our peloton. How I will fare, remains to be seen. I have trained in Italy at a rather low intensity. Hence, if I have to put in maximum efforts, I expect to come slightly short. I consider the BeNe Ladies Tour more as a way to build up my race rhythm. But most people know me by now: if there is a chance of success, I will not let it pass.”
What do you think of the renewed La Course?
“Starting with a short mountain stage from Briançon to the Col d’Izoard (67 kilometres, red.), followed by a pursuit with the strongest riders in Marseille. At first, I noticed some scepticism about the length of the mountain stage and the new race format, but I’m positive about it. It’s a fun, new format for both riders and spectators. I expect this to trigger people. Three years La Course on the Champs-Elysées was a commendable pilot, but the novelty easily wears off. It was a smart move to try a new concept. You will see that another type of riders will be at the forefront. I hope to be with the best in the stage to Izoard so I can participate in the pursuit on Saturday.”
Are you already concerned with the World Championship in Bergen?
“The Worlds in Norway is a big objective for me, but first we still have the Prudential RideLondon Classique and the European Championship. At the latter, the route is completely flat while the World Championship has a rather tough route in store. I have heard stories from people who have been there and have seen some pictures. The climb is pretty much equal to the one at the tri-border area which is pretty intense if you have to ascend it 8 times.”
